It set the date display standard. Step into any watch boutique and, chances are, you’ll find numerous watches with a date display at three o’clock. In fact, you may even be wearing one right now. But the first wristwatch to actually set this template was the self-winding chronometer Rolex Datejust, launched in 1945.
It has the classic Cyclops lens configuration. Okay, so this is a topic of contention. There are those who think the Cyclops lens (introduced in 1953) is the best thing since sliced bread, and purists who prefer their Rollies without one. Nonetheless, the Cyclops improves the legibility of the date display by magnifying it 2.5 times.
It is precise. Inside the Datejust is the Calibre 3235 (above) for men and Calibre 2236 for ladies. Unlike other luxury marques, Rolex eschews COSC certification, which awards chronometers for their extreme precision. Instead, they use their own testing system and each of Rolex’s ‘Superlative Chronometers’ is tested to a deviation of just +/-2 seconds daily when cased, as opposed to COSC-certifications of -4/+6 seconds when uncased.
It’s robust. The men’s Calibre 3235 is equipped with a Parachrom hairspring that’s impervious to magnetic interference and 10 times more shock-resistant than conventional hairsprings. The ladies’ Calibre 2236 features a silicon Syloxi hairspring that is also resistant to magnetization and shock.
It’s efficient. Rolex improved the energy efficiency of its Chronergy escapement by modifying its profile and excising material to cut weight, as well as thinning the barrel walls to fit a higher capacity mainspring. That resulted in an extension of power reserve from the usual 40 hours to 70 hours.
This story first appeared in http://www.crownwatchblog.com/
